College, Isolation, and the Christian Life

College, Isolation, and the Christian Life

This past weekend Houston Baptist University hosted hundreds of people on campus for our annual Family Weekend. It’s always heartwarming to see students introducing their parents to new friends and showing parents around campus. As I watched this familiar scene, I...
Why do we fight and quarrel?

Why do we fight and quarrel?

What is the source of your quarreling? Jealousy. Envy. Materialism. These are the kinds of things that make people angry and fight and internally want to kill one another. That’s what James says in the fourth chapter of his letter to the believers. Jealousy is the...
Are you slow to anger?

Are you slow to anger?

In previous blogs, I discussed the first two parts of the thematic proverb of the book of James, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (James 1:19). From James 3:13 all the way to the end of the book,...
James 3: Are you slow to speak?

James 3: Are you slow to speak?

Reading time: 4 minutes The second part of the James 1:19-20 proverb is, “Slow to speak,” and James elaborates on our speech in chapter 3. In my previous blogs, I discussed the first two chapters of James, including the first part of the proverb, which is “be...
Are you a real hearer of the word?

Are you a real hearer of the word?

Reading Time: 5 minutes In my last blog, I discussed what it means to “be quick to hear” in James 1:19-20. This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the...
James 1: Are you quick to hear?

James 1: Are you quick to hear?

Reading Time: 4 minutes As I said in my previous blog, James is a book about how to walk faithfully through the Christian life. In James 1:19-20, we get what I think is the proverb, the thematic verses, which give the feeling of the whole book of James. “This you...
James 1: Christian Wisdom Starts with Christ

James 1: Christian Wisdom Starts with Christ

Reading Time: 4 minutes A book of wisdom and Christian practice, the book of James has frequently been characterized as “Christian wisdom literature” and has a very Jewish feel to it. If a Jewish Christian were looking at the book of James, I think he or she...
Hope in the Midst of Darkness

Hope in the Midst of Darkness

I have a prediction for young people today, for high school and college students, graduates and young professionals. It’s not much of a prediction. You don’t need a government grant to demonstrate it. Dark days are coming. But that’s an easy prediction because life is...
5 Simple Money Tips for College Graduates

5 Simple Money Tips for College Graduates

When a young 20-something graduates from college and starts her first job with a salary and benefits, $35,000 or $40,000 sounds like a lot of money. And often, the first salary is more than that. With money coming in, but student debt on their shoulders and hopes for...